Alpha Gamma Rho - University of Florida

3 ALPHA GAMMA CHAPTER Greg served as the secretary during his undergraduate experience and as the secretary of the Alpha Gamma Educational Foundation as an alumnus. He also served as president of the University of Florida Agriculture Council. One of his favorite Alpha Gamma memories is when his son, Steven Hall '01, was initiated. Family and farming have defined Greg's life, which made Alpha Gamma Rho the perfect fraternity for him. The work ethic Greg learned from his family was further instilled in him at Alpha Gamma. He presently farms peanuts, cotton, and corn and has around 200 mother calves. "I'm a fourth-generation farmer," Greg said. "I live on the same land that my great- grandfather began it on, so I understand what it's like to put in the hard work to keep it going." The support of his wife and children and his faith have been important to Greg, so that farming can continue to be a way of life for them and not a business. The we-not-I mindset is something that Greg wants Alpha Gamma to be all about during the campaign. "We all participated and it's been part of our lives since we joined, so we should contribute for it going forward. A few of us can't do it by ourselves. If we all do it together, we can accomplish bigger and better things. There are only 25% of our alumni contributing. We should all contribute and work together. Every little bit helps." You can connect with Greg at hallgregoryl@gmail.com. "The chapter needs a new house and it's our responsibility as alumni to provide for the active brothers. I had a place to stay and somebody did that for me… Alpha Gamma needs to stay on campus and be a top chapter." Making Sure Alpha Gamma Rho Is the Cream of the Crop of UF Fraternities (Continued from page 1) The Reaching Impact of Alpha Gamma Rho W hile there have been many attacks on and assumptions made about Greek life in recent years, especially against fraternities, AGR consistently defies these and maintains our purpose to make better men. Members occupy positions of leadership, maintain a 3.0+ GPA, earn and contribute thousands of dollars for local charities, receive substantial dollars in scholarships and are recognized for their accomplishments on and off campus. "If you go look at AGR you will be pleasantly surprised. The leadership experience that they get and the lifelong friends that they make are invaluable," James Oxer, father of Tanner Oxer '18 said. Decades of men have been impacted by Alpha Gamma Rho's purpose but it hasn't stopped there. Parents, sons, wives, the whole family is better from the AGR experience. "At the University of Florida, AGR was a home away from home from for us and we developed many close friends there who are now like family," said Anne Smoak, wife of Edward Smoak '69. "Our son, Mason Smoak '94, and his wife participated to a great extent when he came to UF. His generation has been like family as well." "Friendships whose seeds were sown in college have grown into lifelong friends that are like family," Jennifer Koukos, once an AGR sweetheart, and wife of Paul Koukos '92 said. "These friendships now are multi-generational as our kids have all grown up together, too. Some of them are even sharing their college years together at the University of Florida." From the 1950s to today, AGR has not wavered in its dedication to mentoring young men and bettering every person that is involved in the organization. Elaine Lester, wife of Bernie Lester '58, has witnessed firsthand the lasting impact of the fraternity. "There have been many times when he has received professional assistance from AGRs met on the local and national levels that would have otherwise been unavailable," she said. The invaluable family and opportunities Alpha Gamma Rho membership provides makes it all the more important to secure it. "Our involvement in AGR has expanded our family and continues to grow across the nation. Living in the house as house parents we saw firsthand the extreme need for new housing," Shari Willis, wife of Paul Willis '00, said. Women like Susan McLean, wife of Benny McLean '64, agree as she has seen AGR been a major asset to both her husband and herself, as well as improving and promoting their organic citrus products. "Benny and I feel it is important to support AGR financially, to ensure the next generation of agricultural leaders and protect our precious land resources," she said. With the help of dedicated alumni, their wives, and undergraduates' parents, our beloved fraternity can survive stereotypes and a changing society. Alpha Gamma Rho betters each and every member and the surrounding community. Thanks to a devoted base, the fraternity can maintain this tradition for years to come.

• Cover